Machine for washing wool and other fibrous materials



Aug. 25, 1931. T; w. HAWKINS 1,820,798

MACHINE FOR WASHING WOOL AND OTHER FIBROUS MATERIALS Filed April 16, 1928 4 Sheets-Sheet l Aug. 25, 1931. r. w. HAWKINS MACHINE FOR WASHING WOOL AND OTHER FIBROUS MATERIALS Filed April 16, 1928 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 A Z N 2 {s Mum mg TkmwW/fwifm B) wwwf Aug. 25, 1931. T. w. HAWKINS MACHINE FOR WASHING WOOL AND OTHER FIBROUS MATERIAL$ Filed April 16, 1928 I 4 sheets-shat 3 I 51 31 v v Aug. 25, 1931. 1-, .w w ms 1,820,798

MACHINE FOR WASHING WOOL AND OTHER FIBROUS MATERIALS Filed April 16, 1928 -4 Sheets-Sheet 4 0 a .7 (u I l ////AVJ was-4 m? W/v'awifma i Patented Aug,-

a Y I Y I T oivIAs wiirrrnHEAn nAw KINs, or iinAson, WALEs I MACHINE ron wAsnrNG wooL Ann canine mates MATEiaIALs 7' Y Application filed A rir' e, 1928, Serial no, 27b 49 2yand i'n Great Britain a riiao, 1927.} e 1 This; invention relates to -machines for washing wool and other fibrous materials, of the kind in which the material under treat ment is propelled through{a bath. of r cleans- I I s 'l illlg' liquor by meansof;prongscarried by one "or more frames adapted to beoscillatedverftically and horizontally by primary driving mechanism. I I Y V I This oscillation of the'prong frameor mofra'mes has hithertojbeen eifectedinsome ma- 1 chines by two separate mechanical motions,

that is to say, vertical movement has, been 'im- I parted by revolving cam mechanism and hori- I zontal movement bycranks or eccentricsand a .1 connecting rods; arrangements belng made,

when amain frame and also an auxiliary or frames alternately. I

delivery frame are employed,-toioperate said In other machines oscillation of the prong g 'frame has been produced by asingle mo- 1 tion embodying a pair e f-rotary discs having wrist-pins to which the prong frame is connected; v y j 1; i i

, Thisinventionhas for itsobjects to simpli ,l fy and reduce-the numberfof parts of'the' mechanism for actuatingthe'prong frame" or frames,,to improve the mechanismand to increase the efiiciencyzand output ofthe machine.

, 1 In therevolvingcam mechft fiSm Previous" ly employed there is not "infrequently, at a certain point, lost motion due to theiparts bea ing temporarily unsupported by the revolvling cam or cams'andf there is a consequential tendency for the bowl in contact with each time 'results in damage to the-parts. 'Again,

employed hasinot resulted in the imparting of the maximumeffectivestroke to the points of I I to be washedare propelled through the bath thepr'ongsr r a i a a V w These disadvantages, among others, are overcome by thepresent invention. v

Accordingly, the rotary movement of the primary driving mechanism of a-machine of f thetype .specifiedfor washing wool or other fibrous materials,'is'convertedzinto a succession of rectilinear displacements, of the supthe revolving actuating mechanism hitherto 7 ports 'of the prong frame or. frames corre-i 'sponding toasimulacrum of the oscillatory v cleansing liquor, in such manner ':that the maximum attainable effective or frames is or are travelled around one or more endless tracks whereof the configuration 3 of each is a simulacrum of the path to be described by the points of said prongs in such a manner that said frame or frames is or are caused to 'oscillateuniformly and without lost motion; y 7

machine whereof the main structuralflfea tures are. more or less conventional, and

wherein Figure 1- is a side View, Figure 2lS a plan view,and Figure 3 isan, end viewdpartwhich is appropriate to an auxiliary frame 'frame,"- I s Figure 6 is aldet ile'd side elevation of one 750 of the cam tracks for the main'prongframe, a

and

F gure 7, is a vertical transverse section taken on the l' e-7-7of'Figure 6 in" thedi h I :rection of thea'rrow points. 7 a revolving cam to drop a short distance whereby the mechanism: sustainsashock that in i The machine comprises a rectangular bath or bowl 1 containing the washing liqupr and' having the usuallfalse bottom2 which is, inclined upwardly at" 3 towardsthe jsqueezingrolls 4, 4.

a In the construction illustrated, the fibres or bowl lby means of a main oscillating prong frame 5 operating. over the horizontal false bottom 2 and an auxiliary oscillating es I prong frame6 operating over the inclined falsebottom 3, the frame 5 having the ordi nary series of downwardly depending prongs 7 and the frame 6 having similar prongs 8;

the two frames b'eingformed with relatively i e stroke is im- 55 parted to the frame orframes when passing forwardly through the bath." a 7 v I To thisend the supports of the prong frame 1 One gconstructional embodiment of the in- ,vention is [illustrated'by way of example in ithelaccompanyin'g drawings which showa spaced'parallel bars'arranged as shown in Figure 2 of the drawings in interposltloned relationshipand also so as to operate alternately.

machine.

9 and 10 are respectively a loose and a f ast belt pulley adapted to receive a driving belt (not shown) whereby power is transmitted tothe machine from an electric motor or other convenient source, said pulleys be-'- ing mounted on a shaft 11' supported in appropriate bearings transversely above the bath. 1 and-having keyed thereonpinions 12, 12, which mesh with spur wheels 13, 13, keyed upon stub axles-14; said mechanism constituting the-primary driving mechanism of the Said stub, axles 14, 14,'are accommodated respectively in bearing bosses 15, 15, formed in. a pair of castings .16, 16, adapted to be bolted to or otherwise suitably secured opposite to one another'uponthe flanged upper edges of the side walls of bath 1 jeaoheasting 16 being'formed integrally with an upstanding pedestal or bracket member 17. Upon a machined seating on the inner face of each casting 16 there is boltedJat 18 concentrically with each stub axle 14, a quadrilateral cam groove or track 19 of'subst'antially rectangular contour but radiused atits corners (see Figures 6 and 7). p v Securedupon the inner end of each stub axle 14 so as to be rotatable therewith, there is a slotted link or lever 20in which operates ia slide-blocker cross-head 21 through which passes a rod 22 extending transversely across the bath andconnecting the mutually opposite cross-heads 21, and said rod 22' terminates in, or has mounted on its two ends, rollers V 23, 23, each ofwhich is accommodated in one of the aforesaid quadrilateral cam grooves, tor tracks 19.

i I At or near its rear extremity the main prong frame 5 is attached by means of clamping members 24, 24, as more clearly shown in Figures 2 and 3 to the aforesaid transverse {rod 22, while its forward extremity is,sus-

V pended by rods 25, 25, from pivotally mount- 1 ed bell-crank levers 26, controlled by balance weights 27, which levers 2 6 are articulated to similar. pivotally mounted bell-crank levers 28 connected by rods 29-to the transverse rod member 17a which'combine withmembers 22 and controlled'by balance weights 30, (see 'Figures 1, 2 and' 3).

For the'support and operation of the for ward or auxiliary prongcframe 6 a similar arrangement of parts is provided, that is to say, a transverse shaft 11a carries pinions 12a, 12a, which mesh with spur wheels 13a,

13a, borne bystub-axles 14a, 14a, carried by joppositelydisposed castings 160 each havlngan upwardly projecting stem or pedestal 17, 17, to'support two longitudinaibeams '31, 31, (seeFigures 1 and 2).

, The aforesaid shaft ll has keyed upon it a sprocket wheel 32 and a similar sprocket wheel 32ais keyed upon-shaft 110 which receives rotary motion by means of an endless chain 33 connecting said'two sprockets Bolted at 18a to the faced inner surface of each casting 16a is a quadrilateral cam groove or: track 19a radiu sed at its corners and differingin contour from the former cam grooves 19 in that its lower run is inclined correspondingly withthecinclination of the false bottom 3 of bath 1 (see Figures 4 and 5). To the inner ends of stubaxles- -14a are secured slotted links or levers 200i in which operate slide-blocks or cross-heads 21a connected by a transverse rod 22g carrying at its extremities rollers 23a adapted torun'in the .cam grooves 19a 7 The rear extremity of eachside memberof the auxiliary prong frame "6 is secured at 24a to the transverse rod 220 and the frame is supported forwardly by the rod 25a connected to-pi'votally mounted bell-crank levers 260 controlled by counter or balance weights 27a and articulated to bell-cranklevers 28a which areconnected by a rod 29a to the transverse --rod 22a and are also controlled by counter or bala'n'ce'weights 30a.

' All the aforesaid bell-crank levers and balance weights are "mounted on spindles journalledin suitable bearings bolted to the lon itudinal beams 31, 31, which constitute an overhead framing. 7

It will be seen that thef'rotar ymovement of slotted "links or levers20, and 206;, where- 'by the-rollers 23 and-23a are constrained to move around their respective cam grooves cross heads 21, 21a are caused to slide in the levers 20 and20a, thus imparting to the prong frames 5 and16 a sequence-of horizon- "tal and'v'erti'cal displacements which constiof the primary driving mechanism '11, 12, 13, "14c, imparts angular movement to'each pair or tracks 19 and 19a and the slide-blocks or tute the oscillatory path through which, each the frame 5*is supported positivei'y'and is so balanced that its passage is continuously smooth and uniform. ,7 i Thedisplacements imparted to the auxiliary prongframe 6 (which'zls of course timed,

,to' function alternately 7 with he effective stroke of the main prong frame 5) are'analogous to those already described WltllTGfef- 'ence to the main prong'frame, except that the direction oftheiforward stroke of the auxll-iary frame is upwardly inclined, and

upward vertical movement withdrawing the throughout, the whole ofwhich movements 3 the auxiliary prong frame "being also supported positively and balanced throughout the whole of its travel, its movements are continuously smooth anduniform.,v a,

It will be seen that by reason of the even I I movement impartedto the two prong frames I the machine is not'subjected to any shocks during operation (such as are: inseparable 1 from constructions embodying independent cam and crank motions), which isfa considerable advantage in large and heavy machines, and, furthermore, owing to the lighter and more regular running ofthe frame a I considerable, reduction is effected in the and renewing power necessary to drive the machine, from which it follows that the cost of "running or repairing is materially di- 'minished.

[fibrous materialscomprising, a bath for con H tical requirements,

two or more machines may be driven in tan It will be manifest that the specific details ofconstruction are susceptible of modification or variation according to different pracand that, for example,

dem from a single'primary driving mechanism.

mmimmag*f-a 1, A machine for washing wool and other taining cleansing liquor anclfibrous mai terial, an oscillatory ,frame having'p'rongs projecting into thetliqujo'r to advance the fibrous material therein,

frame supporting means, 'aiigularly movable guiding members slidably carrying said", frame supporting. means, rotatable members on said frame supporting means, a cam track fixedin relation to the frame and'engaged' Withsaid rotat- V able members, and rotary driving mechanism connected to said angularly movable members and acting, thereon to shift said r'otatable "members and 'f'rame supporting means aroundthe cam trackto move the'frame and I atleast one of which loin of the bath. i 2

liquor to advance thefibrous materialthere-y guide members itsipi'o igs in a succession of rectilinear paths is parallel with the bot- 2. A machine for washing wool [and other fibrous materials comprising, a bath for corn taining cleansing liquor and fibrous ma terial, an oscillatory horizontalc frame havii'ig depending prongs projecting into the in, frame supporting 'means extending crosswise above the bath,"slotted angularly movable guide members, blocks near the opposite ends of said frame supporting neans and slidablycm'ounted insaid slotted angularly movable members, rotatable guide members on the ends of said frame supporting means, quadrilateral cam tracks fixed on the sides of said'bath and engaging said rotatable members, and rotarydrivingmechanism connected to] said slotted angularly movable and acting thereon to shift said rotatable guide members and frame'supporting means around said quadrilateral therefrom,

fixed in relation to said frames their lower side parallel'with the bottom of lation to the frame and 1 respectively with said lateral tracks, and rotary ClI'lVlIlg mechanism terial, and an oscillatory cam track to move the frame and its in a succession of rectilinear paths.

3. In a-inacliine for cleansing liquor and fibrous material and having an upwardly inclined end, a main oscillatory frame an auxiliary oscillatory frame having prongs depending therefrom, said auxiliary" oscillatory frame being located above said upwardly inclined end of said bath and moving alternately with respect to said main oscillatory frame, a pair of continuous quadrilateral rectilinear tracks and having the bath, and a second pair of continuous quadrilateral rectilinear tracks fixed in reliaving'their lower side parallel with said upwardly inclined end of the bath,'slotted guide members rotatably mounted upon the bath and slidably support having prongs depending prongs i was-hing wool other fibrous materials, a bath for containing ing said frames, rollers engaging said frames pairs of fixed quadriactuating said slotted supporting members to drive said engaging rollers around said tracks to move the frames and their in a succession of rectilinear paths. l y 4. A machine for washing wool and other fibrous materials comprisinga bath to contain liquorand fibrous material, an oscillatory frame having prongs prongs projecting into I N theliquor to advance the fibrous material therein, frame supporting means, 'angularly movable guiding members slidably carrying In a machine for washing wooland other fibrous materials, having a bath to containcleansingv liquor and fibrous maframe provided with prongs projecting into the liquor to advance the fibrous material therein, a quadrilateral cam'track fixed in relation to the frame and engageable with the same to guide it in a succession of rectilinear paths, the conposition of sa d cam track figuration and being such that two of'said rectilinear paths are normal to, and a third is parallel with the bottom of said bath, and means for inov ing said frame in said paths.

' In; testimony whereof he aflixes his signa-,

ture.

THOMAS wiiirniin in HAWKINS.

to movethe frame and its prongs in said paths. 

